Improvement in game-counters



P. ORTH. BESTAVAiLABLE COPY Game-Counter. 5

No. 203,189. Patented Aprii 30,1878.

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' Valerie BEST AiVAlLABLE COPY UNITED STATES PATENT OFFIeE.

IMPROVEMENT n GAME-COUNTERS.

5pm. lieation l'ornring part of Lt'tirls Patent No. 203,]!39, dated April 2!", H76; application tilt-d April '3, 1878.

To all 147 on! it may concern:

lie it known that l, PHILIP ()RTH, of WillianrqmrL-in the countyot Lyi-omingand State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and useful improvement in (tame-Counters; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full and exact description of the same, reference being .had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters of reference marked thereon.

The object I have in view is the production of a game-counter for scoring the counts made in games of various kinds, which-will be convenient in use, will always retain the countwhen placed in any position, and even when shaken around or knocked oti the table, and will be ornann-ntul, simple, and durable in constrnction, the. same device being also adapted, without- 'niaterially altering its construction, for use as a toy, or as an aid to instruction in teaching counting and adding, or can be employed-by business men for keeping count or tally of various articles; and my invention therein consists, mainly, in providing such a device with cords or wires, upon which the beads or buttons are strung, and with one or more spiral springs. placed at right angles to the cords or wires, for keeping the beads or buttons separate on the opposite sides of such spiral spring or springs, as fully hereinafter ex rlained.

in the drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective view of a game-counter embodying my invention; Fig. 2.,a longitudinal section of the same in front ot'one of the wiresorcords; Fig. 3, a plan view of a counter arranged to keep six scores; Fig. 4, a view of a'counter for keeping tally of articles of various kinds; Fig; 5, a view of a single tally.

Like letters denote corresponding parts.

The counter or tally is composed of a shallow rectau 'alar box, A having bottom a, sides a, and cm s n'. This box is adapted to beset flat upon a table, and may be finished and ornamented in any 1Q to make it attractive.

' In the box A are mounted the cords or wires B, whichnre stretched horizontally in the same for enough below the sides and ends of the box to protect the beads or buttons b, which are strung upon them. These buttons are made of any suitable material, and preferably of about the shape shown in the drawings, and

for ornamentation maybe of various colors. Below the wires 1!, about; centrally between the outward limits of movement of t'tttll set of buttons, is arranged a spiral spring, t, which is'connected at its ends, in any suitable uranncr, to the sides a oi the box. This spring must be quite tine and elastic, so as to allow the buttons to be easily pushed over it, but. still unyielding enough to keep the buttons on either side of the spring until pushed one way or the other. lly these means the count is accurately kept, since the position of the buttons cannot be accidentally changed. To better sustain the spring U in the. desired position, I provide the box with shortsupports e, which are secured to the bottom a ot' the box, and project upwardly from the same centrally between and below every two of the wires 1!. These supports have holes cutv in them near their tops, through which passes loosely the spring; or the spring may be dividcd at each support and secured to the opposite sides of the same, or secured to such supports without being divided.

It is evident that a rubber or other elastic strap or cord could be used in place of the spiral spring, it desired, or that a leaf-spring, with its center bent up into the path of move ment of the buttons, could be placed on the bottom ot the box longitudinally beneath each of the wires.

The box A is divided by transverse partitions A, extending betwceuthe sides a, and of the same height: as said sides. The wires or cords B pass through these partitions, and in the spaces formed by them are arranged the difl'erentsets of buttons. Tire partitions separate the sets of buttons for counting the diflerent, features of the game, and centrally:

in each of these spaces are situatcdone ot' the springs U and its supports 0.

In Fig. l is shown a counter designed especially for keeping record of a two-hand game, or where two counts am to be kept. This form has two wires, and the box is divided into three spaces. The edges of the box may have marked upon them the object of each set of buttons. The central spaeeis for keeping the current record, and the. wires It in this space may have any thin-d number of buttons. Theyare shown ith tlL'Ytll each; but the numthe gauu-s won.

keep six scores.

the one just described, with the exception that ber may be five or twentyone, or any other numlnl-r. The space at the right is designed to be used for recording any number over the number of buttons in the central space, each one of these buttons beingconsidered equivalent to all the buttons on one string in such central space; or it may be used for seorin The space on the left of the eentral sTpaee may be used for games lost or won.

In. Fig. 3 is shown a counter constructed to This counter is exactly like the box is widened and more wires added.

The tally shown in Fig. 4 can be used for various purposes-for counting money, keepiug reeord of lumber of ditferent kinds while I being loaded or unloaded, scoring the number of bags of grain, barrels of flour, &c.

A single tallyis shown in 5. This may I b used to some extent for the same purpose as the one shown in Fig. 4, or for a toy for children, r as an aid to teachers in teaching children to eount and add.

It is evident that any number of wires or cords can be used in one counter, and any number of buttons placed upon each wire, and that the number of partitions and spaces can be changed without departing from the spirit of my invention.

The convenience and certainty of my tallies form their chief advantage, while their simpiieity and attractiveness will commend them for the various purposes described;

Having thus full described my invention, what I claim as new therein, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is'

1. In a counter, the spring C,stretchcd transversely across the line of movement of the beads or buttons, for keeping them separate, substantially as described.

2. In a counter, the spring Cnnd supports 0 between the lines of beads or buttons, substantially as described and shown.

This specification signed and witnessed this 14th day of March, 1878.

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\Vitnesses:

R. N. Dnzn, \VARREN SEELY. 

